Carton construction and blank therefor



Feb. 19, 1963 R. A. KRzYzANowsKl ETAL 3,077,973

CARTON CONSTRUCTION AND BLANK THEREFOR Filed Jan. 24, 1961 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENToRs ROBERT A. KRzvzANowsKl ROBERT H FURTNEY ATTORNEY Feb. 19, 1963 R. A. KRzYzANowsKl E-rAL 3,077,978

CARTON CONSTRUCTION AND BLANK THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24,11961 n K. Y 4. r/.Tlwll M m S RO. ONY TAM NHT www mKF A H. T DMR EE BB OO RR -BYMA 24652;@

ATTORNEY 3,077,978 CARTGN CNSTRUCTEGN AND BLANK THEREFGR Robert A. Krzyzanowski, Milwaukee, Wis., and Robert H. Furtney, Scarsdale, NX., assignors to Milprint, inc.,

Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed dan. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 84,5S9

2 Ciaims. (Cl. 20o-15.1)

This invention relates to commodity containers and, more specifically, to sleeve-containers which are provided with foldable members adapted to retain articles which may be packaged therein.

The term sleeve-container as used in the description and appendent claims is deiined as a tube-like container 'open at both ends and may be of either polygonal or circular cross-section. Articles may be inserted in the sleeve-container through one of the open ends, after which it is customary to seal or otherwise close one or )both ends or to overwrap the sleeve with flexible material so as to retain the article within the sleeve-container. Such containers may be made from heavy paper, cardboard, coated paper or cardboard, plastics, or other materials commonly used in the packaging art.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a sleeve-container which incorporates a foldable article retention member that is adapted to obstruct at least one open end of the container so as to provide retention means to thereby restrict passage of articles packaged in the container through the obstructed open end.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sleevecontainer wherein a portion of the wall which deiines the container body is scored to dene a foldable article retention member which may be folded so as to obstruct at least one open end of the container to restrict passage therethrough of articles packaged within the container.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rectangular sleeve-container wherein abutting wall panels are provided with suitable scoring to form a foldable article retention member that may be folded into a position that will obstruct an open end of the container. A further object of this invention is to provide a unitary container blank which may be suitably folded and joined to form a sleeve-container which will incorporate an article retention member that may be folded into a position to obstruct an open end of the container.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the description herein together with the appendent claims.

ln summary, this invention comprises a sleeve-container wherein a portion of the container wall is adapted to provide a foldable article retention member through the provision of suitable scoring. The foldable article retention member when folded into its operable position serves to obstruct an open end of the sleeve container to prevent passage of an article packaged in the container through said open end. In addition, this invention comprises a unitary container blank which may be folded and joined together to provide a sleeve-container which embodies a foldable article retention member.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a sleeve-container embodying the invention with an article inserted in the container;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sleeve-container of FIG. 1 with the article removed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the sleeve-container of FIG. l with the article removed and with a foldaole article retention member folded into its operative position;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the 3,077,978 Patented Feb. 19, 19o?,

plane of line 4 4 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional View of a portion of the container and article shown in FIG. 1 taken along the plane of line 5-5 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a view of a unitary blank which may be folded to form the sleeve-container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the invention with the article retention means folded to a non-operative position, and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 7 with the article retention means folded to operative position.

Referring to FIG. l, there is illustrated a sleeve-container 1, the wall 3 of which comprises two main wall panels, a front wall panel 4 and a rear wall panel 5 respectively, and a pair of side wall panels 6 and 7, which are joined together to dene a sleeve of rectangular cross-section with two open ends. Rear Wall panel 5 and side wall panel 6 are joined along fold line 17, side wall panel 6 and front wall panel 4 along fold line `18 and front wall panel 4 and side wall panel 7 along fold line 19. As shown in FIG. l, the rear wall panel 5 may be wider than front wall panel 4 and side wall panel 7 may be provided with a ilap 8 arranged to be joined to rear wall panel 5 along a side portion thereof to provide a sleeve-container with a side ange 23. When a side flange is to be formed in this manner, it is preferable that the width of rear wall panel 5 be approximately equal to the combined width of front panel 4 and side wall panel 7. Front Wall panel 4 may also incorporate a window 11, preferably covered with a layer of transparent material 22, to permit viewing of the contents of the container.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the wall of sleeve-container 1 is scored to define a foldable article retention member 12 adjacent an open end 1KB of the container. The scoring comprises a line of severance 14 extending across one of the main wall panels (rear wall panel 5 in the illustrated embodiment) and partly across an abutting side wall panel (side wall panel 6 in the illustrated embodiment) together with vertical fold lines 13 and 15 extending from each end of the line of severance 14 to the ends of rear wall panel 5 and side wall panel 6 respectively, which define a portion of open end 1i). In the preferred construction, the line of severance 14 extends across approximately one-half the width of side wall panel 6. The width of foldable article retention member 12 will be controlled by the distance of the line of severance 14 from the ends of the walls panels from which it is formed and may be adjusted as desired. The line of severance 14 may be scored by a slit which either partially or completely severs the container wall, or a line of perforation consisting of a series of interrupted slits or dots, or any other suitable scoring that will permit separation of the container wall along the line of severance. When so formed, article retention member 12 may be folded into a position that will obstruct the open end 16 of the container 1, in the manner illustrated by FlG. 3. When it is desired to insert an article in the sleeve-container 1, such as the brush 2 shown in FIGS. l, 4, and 5 which has a depending handle, the article may be inserted so that the handle projects through the space between the rear Wall panel 5 and the member 12 as shown in FIG. 4. The shoulder portion of the brush will then rest upon the upper edge of member 12, as shown in FIGS. l and 5, and the brush is thereby prevented from passing through the obstructed end of the sleeve-container. Although an article having a depending portion may also be inserted in the sleeve-container so that the depending portion lies within the opening formed by front wall panel 4 and member 12, the aforementioned position is preferable in that the article will serve to hold the member 12 in its obstructing position. Further, although the sleeve-container embodying this invention is particularly adapted for packaging articles having a depending portion, it is also suitable for packaging articles which do not have a depending or projecting portion, in which event an end portion of such articles will rest upon the upper edge of member 12.

When formed in a sleeve-container of rectangular cross-section, the foldable article retention member 12 when folded into its obstructing position will lie approximately along the diagonal dimension of the rectangular opening in the container, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Although the member 12 is illustrated in the drawings as being -formed in the rear panel of the sleeve-container 1, it is apparent that the member may also be formed in the front panel and an abutting side wall panel of the container. In addition, while the line of severance has been illustrated as extending entirely across one of the wall panels from which member 12 is formed, this construction may be modied and the line of severance may extend only partly across the wall panel; this distance will be largely dependent upon the configuration of the articlehto be packaged in the container.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the sleeve-container 1 may be readily formed from a unitary container blank. The container blank 21 comprises a single sheet of suitable material which is scored with a series of four score lines, 17, 18, 19 and 20 to define rear wall panel 5, side wall panel 6, front wall panel 4, side wall panel 7 and ap 8. Blank 21 is further scored to define the foldable article retention member 12 through the provision of short fold lines 13 and 15 on rear wall panel 5 and side wall panel 6, respectively, which are interconnected by line of severance 14. Front wall panel 4 may be cut to provide a window 11 which may further be covered with transparent material 22 adhesively bonded to the blank. To form the sleeve-container, the blank 21 is folded along lines 17, 18, 19 and 2t) and flap panel 8 joined to the outer side portion extremity of rear wall panel 5 by means of a glued seam, stapled joint or other appropriate joinder method.

Sleeve-containers having a variety of polygonal crosssectional configurations, which include at least two abutting wall panels, may be provided with an article retention member in accordance with the teachings of this invention. FlGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a sleeve-container 3i) which has a triangular cross-section defined by wall panels 31, 32 and 33 and having open ends 34 and 35. A foldable article retention member 36 is formed by scoring two abutting wall panels 31 and 32 in the manner as described above to provide a line of severance 37 which extends across wall panel 32 and partly across wall panel 31, with a short fold line 3S scored on panel 31 and extending from the end of the line of severance to the end of the panel which partly defines opening 35. When formed in this manner, the article retention member 36 may be folded into a position to obstruct open end 3S as illustrated in FiG. 8. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the retention member score line may include more than two abutting walls in the case of multisided polygons.

Sleeve-containers which are provided with foldable article retention members formed from portions of two abutting wall panels of the containers` have several advantages not possessed by known container constructions which provide a retention member or strap formed from only one panel of such containers. Sleeve-containers having foldable article retention members formed as described herein have been found to present a much more attractive package due to the lack of distortion or bending of the container wall panels when the retention member is folded into its obstructing position. Because eye-appeal is such an important factor in the packaging industry it is apparent that container constructions which enhance package appearance Vpresent an important advantage. Further, it has been found that sleeve-containers with foldable article retention members formed as herein described are easier and `faster to load with articles than sleeve-containers which have merely a severance line on only one wall panel of the container. Thus the sleeve- .containers of this invention, in addition to enhancing the package eye-appeal, also are capable of reducig labor costs associated with packaging articles.

While this invention has been described herein with reference to certain specific embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments may be constructed which will be within the scope and teachings of this invention and the appendent claims.

We claim:

l. In a sleeve-container `for packaging articles, the wall of which container comprises two main wall panels interconnected by two side wall panels arranged to define a container body of rectangular cross-Section with an open end, the combination with said sleeve-container of a foldable article retention member, said member being defined -by a line of severance entirely across one of said main wall panels and across a portion only of an abutting side wall panel and short fold lines scored -in said one main wall panel and abutting side wall panel extending from each end of said line of severance to the edges of said wall panels along said open end, whereby said member may be folded along the junction between said abutting front and side wall panels and along the said scored fold lines to a position approximately diagonally across said open end to restrict passage therethrough of an article packaged in said sleeve-container.

2. In a sleeve-container for packaging articles, the wall of which container comprises front and rear wall panels interconnected by two side wall panels arranged to define a container body of rectangular cross-section with an open end, the combination with said sleeve-container of a foldable article retention member, said member being defined by a line of severance entirely across the rear wall panel and approximately half-way across an abutting side wall panel and short fold lines scored in the rear wall panel and abutting side wall panel extending from each end of said line of severance to the edges of said wail panels along said open end, whereby said member may be folded along the junction between the rear wall panel and abutting side wall panel and along the said short scored fold lines to a position approximately diagonally across said open end to restrict passage therethrough of an article packaged in said sleeve-container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,612,887 Saunders Ian. 4, 1927 1,985,075 Bird Dec. 18, 1934 2,552,741 Schumann May 15, 1951 2,692,077 Kuhlman Oct. 19, 1954 

1. IN A SLEEVE-CONTAINER FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES, THE WALL OF WHICH CONTAINER COMPRISES TWO MAIN WALL PANELS INTERCONNECTED BY TWO SIDE WALL PANELS ARRANGED TO DEFINE A CONTAINER BODY OF RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTION WITH AN OPEN END, THE COMBINATION WITH SAID SLEEVE-CONTAINER OF A FOLDABLE ARTICLE RETENTION MEMBER, SAID MEMBER BEING DEFINED BY A LINE OF SEVERANCE ENTIRELY ACROSS ONE OF SAID MAIN WALL PANELS AND ACROSS A PORTION ONLY OF AN ABUTTING SIDE WALL PANEL AND SHORT FOLD LINES SCORED IN SAID ONE MAIN WALL PANEL AND ABUTTING SIDE WALL PANEL EXTENDING FROM EACH END OF SAID LINE OF SEVERANCE TO THE EDGES OF SAID WALL PANELS ALONG SAID OPEN END, WHEREBY SAID MEMBER MAY BE FOLDED ALONG THE JUNCTION BETWEEN SAID ABUTTING FRONT AND SIDE WALL PANELS AND ALONG THE SAID SCORED FOLD LINES TO A POSITION APPROXIMATELY DIAGONALLY ACROSS SAID OPEN END TO RESTRICT PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF AN ARTICLE PACKAGED IN SAID SLEEVE-CONTAINER. 